The Liberal Leader’s main opponent in the Ontario election may be Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, but she devoted her campaign day to criticizing the prime minister.

Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne said in Ottawa on Thursday that only a Liberal premier would stand up to the Conservative federal government for their "wilful indifference to Ontario’s interests.”

OTTAWA—Kathleen Wynne is in the nation’s capital to engage in the national pastime of Ottawa-bashing.

The Liberal Leader’s main opponent in the June 12 election may be Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, but she devoted her campaign day to attacking Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

One day after confiding to the Star that Harper had “smirked” when he told her last December that Canadians need to save more for their own retirement because it’s not government’s role to look after them, Wynne continued her assault on Harper.

“Ontario needs a leader who is willing to stand up to the Harper Conservatives for their wilful indifference to Ontario’s interests,” she told 240 people at a Canada 2020 breakfast speech.

Wynne complained the federal government is cutting transfers to Ontario and not supporting the massive Ring of Fire chromite mining project in the north the way the Tories have for Alberta’s oilsands.

She suggested Hudak is too closely aligned with Harper — politically and ideologically — to fight for Ontario against Ottawa.

Only a Liberal premier would “go toe-to-toe with Stephen Harper” to get more federal funding for Canada’s most populous province, Wynne claimed.

“Fair and just treatment of all of the provinces is important,” she said, blasting the federal Tories for giving Ontario $641 million less this year than expected in equalization payments from the national wealth-sharing scheme.

“On transfers, I will stand up for Ontario. I will stand up to Stephen Harper for the good of our province. Will Tim Hudak?”

Despite winning 72 of Ontario’s 106 federal seats in the 2011 election — compared to the 48 of 107 provincial ridings Wynne’s party held at dissolution — Harper’s popularity has sagged.

Because of that Wynne’s advisers believe painting Hudak as a junior partner of the prime minister could help her over the next five weeks.

New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said Thursday the fight Wynne is picking with Ottawa is an attempt to distract voters from unemployment and scandals under the Liberals.

“If Ms. Wynne wants to spend her time on the campaign trail . . . having fights with Prime Minister Harper, that's her business. Whatever happened to the mediator premier that we used to see?” said Horwath after touring an auto parts logistics plant in Niagara Falls.

“I think that the people of Ontario see through that type of thing, and I think the people of Ontario would rather the debate be about the fact that we need good jobs in this province.”

With files from Rob Ferguson

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